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Strike: Traders to keep shops open

TNN | Updated: Jan 5, 2019, 8:03 IST

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KOZHIKODE: Traders in the state will keep the shops and business establishments open during the two-day nationwide general strike called by central trade unions on January 8 and 9, Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi (KVVES) state president T Nazirudheen has said. Addressing a news conference at the Vyapara Bhavan here on Friday, Nazirudheen said that the decision was taken as per the earlier decision of the anti-hartal collective comprising 92 trade and business bodies to observe 2019 as an anti-hartal year. "The nationwide general strike by trade unions against the anti-employee stand of the central government and frequent hike in fuel prices among other issues is perfectly just. We are considerate to their demands. But normally all such strikes turn out to be hartals and bandhs in the state. We appeal to all political parties to ensure that the upcoming strike don't turn into a hartal," he added. Nazirudheen said that they have appealed to the trade union leaders to cut down the two-day agitation into a single day programme in the state.

"We will write to the chief minister seeking police protection for the shops during the days," he added. On the losses suffered by the traders in the hartal called by the Sabarimala Karma Samithi on Thursday, he said that traders would file a petition in the high court on Saturday urging to recover the losses suffered during the hartal from those responsible.